Happy Hollow Farm

06/18/2024

Hello everyone! It's been a while since posting. We're finally starting to get quantity out of our Raspberry patch this year. The patch is small and intensely managed so I will not have U-pick berries. Throughout the summer I will have raspberries pre-picked for sale on certain days or by appointment only.

Tonight I picked the first batches of what I'll call Jam berries. Most are smaller/crumbly and need a good washing due to yesterdays wind blowing dirt everywhere.
If you are interested raspberries, the first pickup will be Wednesday between 5-6 pm. Please message to make sure I can set some aside for you. These berries are best for jam so they will be $5 per pint. Generally a batch of jam will call for 4 pints. I expect around 30 pints to be available Wednesday, but We can arrange for a Sunday pickup too.

11/05/2022

For 27 years we have invited the community to our home to buy strawberries, vegetables, fruits and pumpkins. Is has been a labor of love for many years, as we were paid in gratitude and friendship more than it ever paid the bills.

To be perfectly clear though, this is first and foremost our home. We have had clear opening hours of business, and whoever was up this week to steal the remaining contents of our cash register surely wasn't invited. Shame on whoever ignored the signage, had enough knowledge to open the register, but still nearly broke it in the process. You didn't get much, but you sure managed to annoy us.

In the future, we will not look kindly on those who feel that our backyard is a public park, no matter how well meaning anyone may be. One of the many reasons we made the decision to close the U-Pick permanently is due to the lack of privacy we have received, and this is just our last straw.

10/31/2022

Thank you to everyone who came out and visited this year, as well as the past 27 years. Today was our last day open for the Vegetable and Pumpkin U-Pick for the season and our final year. We will miss all of our regulars, and I'm sure the dogs and goats will also miss all of the attention. In the future, if not 2023, then definitely 2024, we will have pre-picked fruits available. Watch out for us next May for information on berries that we may have.

10/27/2022

This Friday, Saturday and Sunday will be our last weekend for the season as well as for our Vegetable U-Pick. Our garden has been mowed over due to cold weather in early October. There are plenty of pumpkins for those wishing for last minute carving. We do accept WIC coupons until our closing day, Sunday October 30th. Illinois Farmer’s Market coupons can only be used on Winter Squash, Pie Pumpkins and some Mustard greens still in good condition. Hours are Thursday-Friday: 3-7pm. (though it is dark by 6) Saturday and Sunday 10am-6pm.

10/02/2022

Hello, First I’d like to thank you for all of the well wishes regarding our last post. The garden is still in great shape this weekend despite slowed production due to the colder weather. Usually a frost will happen during the second week of October when the temperature reaches 32F and kills off the plant foliage. We’re watching the forecast and it seems this Thursday night, October 6th, may be the first frost. Rain and very cold high winds are predicted with the forecast calling just above freezing. This Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday may be the last chance to get vegetables from our Farm. The garden will still have vegetables on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, but the produce will have a shorter shelf life and requires refrigeration immediately after harvesting.
We have plenty of Purple Hill Peas, Beans, Okra, Mustards, Chilies, Sweet Peppers, and lesser amounts of Tomatoes, Edible Gourds, and Eggplant. The frost will not affect the Pumpkins, Winter Squash, or Cabbage. Hours are still 3-7pm Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. 10am-6pm Saturday and Sunday. Our closing date for the U-Pick will be October 30th.

09/23/2022

In 1995 we began Happy Hollow U-Pick with strawberries and an Asparagus patch, evolving into our large garden with vegetables from around the world. However, after years of consideration and continued downsizing, we have concluded that the vegetable garden is no longer sustainable by our family. This season, ending October 30, 2022, will be our final year providing a U-Pick vegetable garden and Pumpkin Patch.

This is not meant to be retirement, but rather a much needed change in pace. The farm will not be sold. In the future, we will be continuing on with pre-picked berries. Beyond that, we are still deciding what our opportunities with the land will be.

Thank you to all our friends and family that have helped with our farm. We are grateful to all our customers for showing love and support, sharing your cultures, knowledge, and friendship. It has allowed us to continue offering vegetables to our community for this long. We have appreciated meeting everyone, including those who just discovered our garden this year, and especially to those who have been around for decades.
We will still operate our vegetable and pumpkin patch as usual for the remaining weeks of our season. We think it is only fair to all of our valued regular customers to give a notice, as we will miss seeing you all every year.

09/10/2022

This weekends updates! We expect rain Saturday Night so the field will be very muddy on Sunday. Ridge Gourd and Sponge Gourd is finally starting to show itself in the field this week. We still don't have nearly the crop that we had last year, but there is a few to be found in the field. Tomatoes and Chili peppers are still in excellent condition this week, as is the Okra and eggplant. Our purple hull peas are a high demand crop for many of our customers at different stages, so we hulled a few to show. There is a few to be found this weekend for those willing to put in the time to find mature peas. Next weekend there will be many more. Please check our Available Now Page for a full list. https://www.happyhollowupick.com/available-now
Hours: Weekends: 10-6pm. Wednesday, Thurs, Fri: 3-7pm.

09/02/2022

Happy Labor Day Weekend! This week is the prime for our Tomato crop. We're very proud of our Chili/Hot Pepper crop this year- There is plenty of Jalepeno, Cayenne Types and Habeneros! More watermelon is ripening for us to bring to the barn, and Okra is looking great this week. Purple Hull Peas/Cow Peas/Black Eye peas are starting to fill out, but look like they may be ready in a week for those that prefer a mature pea. We are open Wed, Thurs, Fri: 3-7pm. 10am-6pm Weekends. For a full list of what is available please check our website : https://www.happyhollowupick.com/available-now
A few reminders:
Cash/Check Preferred. Fee on Card sales. I do accept Farmers Market Checks. No public toilets available for use, Phone line is still down.
We will be closed Monday Sept 5, Labor Day.

08/18/2022

It looks like we will be getting some much-needed rain. Unfortunately the forecast predicts it will be Overnight Friday, though-out Saturday, and sprinkles on Sunday. If it rains as much as predicted, the field will be muddy, but we will still be open. In addition, the farm will not have a set closing time on Friday August 19th. 3pm-Dark (around 8:30) for those that wish to still get their vegetables in dry weather.

Normal Hours are Saturday, Sunday: 10am-6pm. Wed, Thurs, Fri: 3-7pm. The phone company is still yet to fix our broken business line, and a reminder that we do not have a public restroom on the farm.
For updates on what is available now, and yet to come, visit https://www.happyhollowupick.com/available-now

Pictured is our Beans and Peas currently ready. On the left, we have two varieties of black eye peas, or Purple Hull Peas. There is limited amounts of matured peas, and there will be another crop in a few weeks. Middle is Surti Beans, and to the right is our youngest crop of Green Beans/Yellow Wax Bean.

08/12/2022

Our Edible Gourd crop is finally ripening! So far this type of Bottle Gourd is the first to come on. We will soon have Snake Gourds available as well. Unfortunately Bitter Gourd have not wanted to germinate this year and we have less than 4 plants for now, with a possibility of more at the end of September. Ridge and Sponge also have fewer surviving plants than we had planned, but I see a few finger sized gourds on the vine.
There is plenty of hot and sweet peppers in the field. Eggplant is not yet in full production, but there is a lot out there! Plenty of green tomatoes that are taking a long time to turn red. Okra is in high demand and the field is regularly cleaned out. Purple Hull Peas are at the perfect Green stage for what most of our customers prefer. For a full list of what we have in the field and what is ripening soon, please visit our website: https://www.happyhollowupick.com/available-now

Hours are Wed, Thurs, Fri: 3-7pm. Saturday Sunday: 10am-6pm
Cash and Check preferred, additional fees for Card Payments.
Our phone line is currently not working and is being fixed. We also do not have public restrooms available yet this season.
Hope to see you out soon!

08/12/2022

Hello! Our next crop of cucumbers/pickles will be ready for this weekend! We have had a few questions on the differences between the two types that we grow, so we want to take the time to show the differences. On the left is "Pickle." Just as how apples have different varieties best for certain purposes and tastes, this variety was bred to be thick and short, have a thin peel, and very crunchy. Most importantly, they have a mild, light flavor so you can impart your desired flavor onto the vegetable in the "pickling" process. We grow the same variety packed into jars at the grocery store.

On the Right is a "Cucumber." This is typically what will be available fresh in stores for slicing. They are long and dark green. The peel is quite thick, and is only enjoyable (in my opinion) to eat when the cucumber is young. Cucumbers are less crunchy in comparison, but have a sweeter, more noticeable flavor.
Both are Cucumbers, both pleasant to eat on their own, and both able to make preserves with. It comes down to which one you prefer! If any canners are interested, this is our first perfect opportunity of the season as we have plenty of different hot peppers and a small amount of dill.

Hours are Wed, Thurs, Fri: 3-7pm. Saturday-Sunday: 10am-6pm. Cash and Check preferred, processing fee added on Card payments.
Our phone line is currently not working and being fixed. We also do not have public outhouses available yet this season.

08/06/2022

We're open for the season! Hours are:
-10-6 Saturday, Sunday
-3-7pm Wed, Thurs, Friday
-Closed Monday, Tuesday
Our peppers this year look beautiful! We hope to see you this weekend.
For a full list of everything on in the field week, and what is still to ripen, please visit our website:

As of July 27 we only have a few crops available to pick. Weeds have taken over many of our early season root and leaf crops, so we will not have August harvest of mustards, spinaches, beets or carrots.